1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved urine deflector and, more particularly, pertains to a urine deflector shield for eliminating urine splatter on the surfaces of a toilet bowl.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of urine deflectors is known in the prior art. More specifically, urine deflector shields heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of eliminating urine splatter on surfaces of a toilet bowl are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The prior art discloses a large number of urine deflectors. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,990 issued to Chan discloses a splash suppressing toilet seat cover having folded annular and bridging inner portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,914,803 issued to Gregovski discloses a toilet bowl splash shield that is fastened to the toilet seat and extends downwardly on each side of the toilet bowl so that when the seat is raised, the shield forms two upstanding splash guards about the two sides of the toilet bowl.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,253 issued to Brendlinger discloses an anti-splash and silencing device for use in toilets having a floatable member formed from two or more layers of bio-degradable paper. The paper has a graphic indicia which is imprinted thereon and a string so that the device may be positioned in the toilet bowl.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 341,414 issued to Baker appears to disclose a splash guard for a toilet bowl.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,706 issued to Brown et al. discloses a splash and overspray guard for catching and transporting accumulated waste fluids and channeling the waste fluid to the water in the toilet bowl therebelow.
In this respect, the urine deflector according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of eliminating urine splatter on the surfaces of a toilet bowl.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved urine deflector which has all the advantages of the prior art urine deflectors and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved urine deflector which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved urine deflector which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved urine deflector which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such a urine deflector economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved urine deflector which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved urine deflector for eliminating the splatter of urine on surfaces of a toilet bowl and toilet seat when males urinate from a standing position. The invention comprises a collar having paired opposed arcuate sections and paired opposed elongated sections together forming a generally oval configuration. Further included is an inner flange disposed downward from an inner edge of the collar. The flange is in generally frictional communication with an interior edge of the toilet bowl for ease of removal, cleaning, and reinstallation. A baffle is oriented on an outer edge of a rearward arcuate section of the collar. The baffle redirects urine away from a hinged section of the toilet seat. Also included is a lip extending upward from the outer perimeter of the collar. Finally, the device is fabricated from an elastomeric material, preferably plastic.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved urine deflector shield which can be used for eliminating urine splatter on exterior surfaces of a toilet bowl. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.